Joss Whedon's Cabin In The Woods Opening SXSW In March

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard sure do love Austin, Texas. Months after the duo’s highly anticipated horror movie Cabin In the Woods played Harry Knowles’ Butt-Numb-A-Thon, the good folks at South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin revealed that the film would be the Opening Night selection of the 2012 event, scheduled for Friday, March 9.

It will be the official World Premiere of Goddard’s film (which released its potentially spoilerish trailer late last year), even though it had its BNAT screening, which was supposed to be kept under some sort of embargo. As part of SXSW’s opening weekend activities, Whedon also revealed that he will participate in a “Conversation” panel at the SXSW Film Conference on Saturday, March 10.

Written by Whedon and Goddard, Cabin in the Woods follows five friends into the woods where they plan on staying at a remote cabin (as the title suggests), only to find … something. There are reportedly major twists coming in the second half of the film, and folks have been warned to avoid the teaser clip, which could give away more than you might want. All I know is that the Paramount Theatre is going to rock on opening night of SXSW, and I’m thoroughly excited to be there.

In addition to Whedon and Goddard's movie, SXSW also revealed a handful of titles that will premiere at the 2012 event. They include:

Beauty is Embarrassing (World Premiere)
Director: Neil Berkeley
A funny, irreverent and insightful look into the life and times of one of America's most important artists, Wayne White.

Citadel(World Premiere)
Director & Writer: Ciarán Foy
An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children.
Cast: Anuerin Barnard, James Cosmo, and Wumni Mosaku, Jake Wilson, Amy Shiels

Girls (World Premiere)
Director & Writer: Lena Dunham
Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), the HBO show is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s.
Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver

Marley (North American Premiere)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
The definitive documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.

The Oyster Princess (1919) with original live score by Bee vs. Moth (World Premiere)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch, Writers: Hanns Kraly & Ernst Lubitsch
The Oyster Princess is Ernst Lubitsch’s tart 1919 silent comedy that parodies the rich and the spoiled. Austin jazz/rock band Bee vs. Moth performs their original score live with the film for the first time.

Small Apartments (World Premiere)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund, Writer: Chris Millis
When Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must hide the body; but, the wisdom of his beloved brother and the quirks of his neighbors, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him.
Cast: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Dolph Lundgren, Saffron Burrows, Rosie Perez, DJ Qualls

The complete festival lineup will be announced in early February. The 19th annual South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival runs March 9-17.